⚠️ Important: Follow Your Artist's Instructions First
Every artist at Naughty Comrade works in a different style - and different techniques mean different trauma to the skin, which means different healing needs. The guidelines on this page are a general starting point.
Your artist's aftercare instructions override anything on this page.
If your artist gave you specific instructions; a particular wrap, product, or cleaning routine - follow those.
Your skin is healing from thousands of tiny punctures. Treat it like the open wound it is - but don't panic. Most tattoos heal fully in 2-4 weeks with proper care.
This is the most important window. Here's what to do when you leave the studio:
If your artist wrapped you in Saniderm (second-skin bandage):Leave it on for 24–72 hours. You'll see plasma and ink pooling under the wrap — this is completely normal. When you remove it, do so slowly in the shower under warm running water. Peel from one corner, pulling back on itself (not upward).
If your artist used regular wrap:Remove it after 2–4 hours. Do not re-wrap.
After removing the bandage:
- Wash gently with clean hands and unscented antibacterial soap (Dial or Ivory work great)
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel, never a cloth towel
- Apply a thin layer of unscented moisturizer (Lubriderm, Aveeno, or artist-recommended aftercare balm)
- Let it breathe
Your tattoo will start to peel and may feel itchy. This is normal. Do not pick or scratch.This is the most important window. Here's what to do when you leave the studio:
Do this twice a day:
1. Wash with unscented soap and lukewarm water
2. Pat dry completely
3. Apply a very thin layer of unscented lotion or aftercare balm
4. Let air dry before covering with clothing
What to expect:
- Redness and mild swelling for the first 2-3 days - normal
- Peeling and flaking around days 4-7 - normal
- Itchiness - normal (tap gently, don't scratch)
- Ink shedding with the peeling skin - normal, colour underneath is fine
Your tattoo may look fully healed on the surface but the deeper layers of skin are still repairing. Keep protecting it.
- Continue moisturizing once daily until fully healed
- Avoid direct sun exposure - UV rays are the #1 enemy of fresh tattoos
- If going outside, cover with loose clothing or apply SPF 50+ after the first 2 weeks
- Avoid submerging in water (pools, ocean, baths, hot tubs) for at least 3–4 weeks
- Showers are fine - just don't soak the tattoo
❌ Picking, peeling, or scratching
❌ Sun exposure or tanning beds
❌ Swimming or soaking in any body of water
❌ Tight clothing rubbing on the tattoo
❌ Petroleum-based products (Vaseline, Polysporin)
❌ Scented lotions or soaps
❌ Shaving directly over the tattoo
Most tattoos heal without issues. But contact us or see a doctor if you notice:
⚠️ Excessive swelling or redness spreading beyond the tattoo after day 3
⚠️ Hot, hard, or painful skin that gets worse over time
⚠️ Green, yellow, or foul-smelling discharge
⚠️ Fever or chills
Once healed, protect your investment:
- Always apply SPF 30+ sunscreen on exposed tattoos before going outside
- Keep skin moisturized year-round
- Stay hydrated - healthy skin holds ink better
- Book a touch-up if needed
Our resident piercer Charles uses precision placement and implant-grade jewellery — your job is to keep it clean and leave it alone. Piercings are deceptively slow to heal. Even when they look healed on the outside, the inside is still repairing.
Earlobe: 6–9 months
Cartilage (helix, tragus, conch): 9–18 months
Nostril: 6–9 months
Septum: 6–8 months
Eyebrow/Surface: 9–12 months
Navel: 9–12 months
Nipple: 9–12 months
Oral (lip, tongue): 6–9 months
Our resident piercer Charles uses precision placement and implant-grade jewellery - your job is to keep it clean and leave it alone. Piercings are deceptively slow to heal. Even when they look healed on the outside, the inside is still repairing.
Twice a day for the full healing period:
1. Rinse with sterile saline wound wash (NeilMed Wound Wash is ideal - available at most pharmacies)
2. Spray directly onto the piercing, let it soak for 30–60 seconds
3. Gently rinse with clean water if needed
4. Pat dry with a clean paper towel or let air dry
5. Do not rotate or move the jewellery
That's it. Simple is better. Over-cleaning is just as harmful as under-cleaning.
❌ Do not rotate or twist your jewellery - this is outdated advice that tears healing tissue
❌ Do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, or Polysporin
❌ Do not use cotton balls or Q-tips (fibres can get caught)
❌ Do not touch the piercing with unwashed hands
❌ Do not change jewellery early - wait until fully healed or come back to the studio
❌ Do not sleep on fresh ear or facial piercings (use a travel pillow to keep pressure off)
❌ Do not submerge in pools, hot tubs, lakes, or the ocean while healing
White/yellow crusties around the piercing: Normal. This is lymph fluid - your body's natural healing discharge. Rinse with saline, don't pick.
Small bump near the piercing: Could be a keloid, hypertrophic scar, or irritation bump. Don't panic, but don't ignore it. Come see Charles for an assessment.
Redness and swelling in the first few days: Normal. If it persists beyond a week or gets worse, contact us.
Jewellery feels tight or is sinking into the skin: This can happen with swelling. Come in immediately - we can switch to a longer bar. Do not try to remove it yourself.
Come see us or a doctor if you have:
⚠️ Increasing redness, warmth, and swelling after the first week
⚠️ Thick green or yellow pus (not clear/white lymph fluid)
⚠️ Fever or red streaks radiating from the piercing
⚠️ Jewellery that appears to be moving through the skin (migration/rejection)
Note: Irritation and infection look similar. When in doubt, come in before removing the jewellery - removing it can trap infection inside.
Charles will place your initial jewellery with extra length to accommodate swelling. Once healed (or at the 6–8 week mark), you should come back to be downsized to a shorter piece.
Wearing the initial long bar too long can cause: snagging, embedding, and movement that disrupts healing.
Ready to downsize or upgrade your jewellery? Book with Charles.
Have any questions about tattoo or piercing aftercare? Take a look at some of our most common questions here.
Have a question you don't see here? Contact Us Today!
No. Petroleum-based products like Vaseline seal the skin and prevent it from breathing, which can cause fading and trap bacteria. Use an unscented water-based moisturizer like Lubriderm or Aveeno instead.
Yes. Peeling is a natural part of the healing process, usually starting around day 4-7. Do not pick or peel the skin off - let it shed naturally.
Wait a minimum of 3-4 weeks, and only once the tattoo is fully healed with no scabbing or peeling. Ocean water, pools, and hot tubs all carry bacteria that can infect a healing tattoo.
Light activity is fine after 48 hours. Avoid anything that causes heavy sweating directly on the tattoo for the first week, and avoid exercises that stretch the tattooed skin excessively.
Probably not yet. Surface healing can look complete while the inside is still repairing. Changing jewellery too early is one of the most common causes of irritation bumps and prolonged healing. Come in and Charles will assess whether you're ready.
Unscented, dye-free antibacterial soap. Dial Gold and Ivory are both good options. Avoid anything with fragrance, exfoliants, or moisturizing additives.
Contact us right away. We can assess whether it's an infection or just irritation. For confirmed infections, you may need to see a doctor for antibiotics — do not try to treat it yourself with over-the-counter creams.
